City Manager Rebecca Grill presented the City of Oshkosh’s proposed 2026 budget at the Nov. 4 Common Council meeting, proposing to hold the total city tax levy at $47,000,000 and to reduce the planned use of fund balance from $3.5 million to $1.1 million.

The presentation, delivered with Finance Director Julie Thomas, said the city’s allowable general levy increase is constrained by Wisconsin levy limits and by net new construction. Net new construction for the assessment period was reported at 1.384 percent, producing a limited levy increase of $483,896; most of that figure is expected to be consumed by salary and benefit growth in 2026. The administration described the proposal as focused on maintaining continuity of services while pursuing restructuring, cross‑training and targeted investments in technology and communications.

Grill and Thomas outlined several technical changes in fund structure: tax‑levy supported special revenue funds for street lighting, museums, senior services, cemetery, Leach Amphitheater and Pollock Waterpark were consolidated into the general fund, which will show a single tax levy line rather than separate levy allocations. Staff said the consolidation does not increase total tax support but moves previously separate levy lines into one general‑fund levy line for transparency and accounting.

The presentation also highlighted capital and operating work: public safety remains the largest share of personnel costs; the budget includes planned water and storm projects, continued work on lead service line replacement and PFAS monitoring, and several transportation and sewer/water capital projects. The proposed mill rate examples shown in the presentation indicated a small decrease in city taxes on a median Oshkosh home under the proposed levy structure when offset by assessment changes.

Council action and next steps

During the meeting the council approved Resolution 25‑564, a wastewater utility operating budget amendment for repair of a wastewater‑treatment plant centrifuge. The clerk took the roll and the resolution passed on the recorded vote. Council set the final public hearing and adoption date for the 2026 budget for Nov. 11, 2025 and directed staff to continue to refine the CIP and budget materials ahead of that vote.

The meeting also moved into a workshop discussion of several items that will be refined in the coming week, including a staff‑recommended pedestrian and bicycle bridge across I‑41 (see separate report) and a sequence of departmental adjustments and projects to be folded into the final CIP and operating plan.

Ending

City staff asked the public and council members to submit any follow‑up questions and noted final budget materials will return to council on Nov. 11 for adoption. No final adoption occurred on Nov. 4; the council closed the public hearing and continued detailed deliberations in workshop format.